


Love Will Find a Way

by brokenpromisesandhope



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Family Issues, Financial Issues, Fluff, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Kissing, Lesbians, Love, Naked Cuddling, Swearing, True Love, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 23:26:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenpromisesandhope/pseuds/brokenpromisesandhope
Summary: Nancy is having a shitty day, her girlfriend always makes it better.





	Love Will Find a Way

**Author's Note:**

> So this is for my darling friend Angela aka Nancykali on tumblr who requested fluff with nose kisses and naked cuddling. The angst came on it’s own which I didn’t plan, but I hope the surprise ending that I purposely didn’t tag makes up for it!   
> Xx  
> T  
> Ps: I have no beta so sorry if there’s mistakes.

It’s been a long day. Most days are long, at least to Nancy. She’s drowning, truly. She gets up at five am to get up and get ready for work, where she stands on her feet all day as a part time manager at Old Navy. Then she heads straight to the community college to take her couple night classes, that are way more expensive than what she thinks they’re worth, but she’s trying to set an example for Mike and Holly, and Kali repeatedly told her she was too smart to just run a store for the rest of her life, though she was good at it. Then she comes home, and there’s always dishes to be done, or no food, and sometimes no Kali. 

Kali worked nights at the salon sometimes, or she worked her second job at the gas station, and it wasn’t often their schedules matched up. Sometimes they only saw each other for five minutes a day, before one of them collapsed into bed, while the other slid out of it to quietly shower. Or sometimes Nancy would come home to find Mike on her couch, eating the one bag of chips they always kept, his favorite, Doritos, and Holly would be painting her nails with one of Kali’s thousand of colors. Nancy loved when her siblings visited, and was so happy that she’d been able to help Mike pay for driver’s ed, so he could get his license on his 16th birthday so he could drive to the outskirts of town to visit her, because she sure as hell wasn’t allowed in her parent’s house anymore. 

It was a lot. Going from never working a day in her life, never thinking she would have to work if she didn’t want to, to working grueling hours and pinching pennies to pay rent for a shitty one bedroom apartment. But she had a car, and so did Kali, and they were together, and they were surviving, barely. Which is why Nancy’s eyes fill with tears as she throws open the door to the apartment and chokes on the humidity. The air conditioner is clearly broken, and it’s been a long day of being bitched at at work, and she has homework that’s due on Thursday, and the week just started and it’s already shitty. The kids had come over yesterday, and Mike had even brought Kali’s adopted sister and his little girlfriend, El, so they have no food, and probably won’t until Friday when she gets paid. She figures she could always ask Kali’s stepdad if they could come over for dinner, his new wife, Joyce, wouldn’t let him turn them away, but they’re both a bit too proud for that. 

She’s hungry, and exhausted, and has a throbbing caffeine withdrawal headache, and it’s fucking 90 degrees in her apartment, and Kali works til seven. She sniffles and presses the palms of her hands to her eyes until black and white flashes appear. She’s pissed. She hates her life. But crying isn’t exactly going to do anything, so she heads to the fridge and cabinet and fills a cup with water and chugs it, to cool her down. She fills it again, before putting the pitcher back and she presses the cool glass to her already sweaty forehead, heading back to their bedroom. By the time she makes it, her shirt is sticking uncomfortably to her back and she sets her glass down and sheds her clothes. 

She takes an ice cold shower and then dries off, trying to ignore her aching body. She hangs up her towel and tugs her hair into a scrunchie, and collapses into bed, naked and already sweating again. She kicks off all of the blankets except the sheet, and checks her phone. Kali hasn’t responded to her last text, she’s probably busy, and Mike had texted her saying it was good to see her and she looked happy. She responds quickly, but then ends up plugging her phone in and trying to fall asleep so she doesn’t have to feel hungry and miserable anymore. 

It’s been a long but fairly good day. Kali loved doing hair, and had a ton of clients who loved her work. She works in a nicer salon on the northside of town, and the gas is a bitch, but she makes bank. Which is why she has almost two hundred dollars in cash tips in her pocket. She’s fucking thrilled. Mike and Holly and El had come over the night before and ate the rest of their groceries, and she needed gas, and it was Nancy’s twenty first birthday in two weeks, and she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be able to get her anything, until today. 

So she heads out to her car and sends Nancy a text, asking what she wants for dinner, and heads to the gas station to fill up. By the time she does, Nancy still hasn’t responded, so she figures that class just ran late. Which is actually perfect, she thinks to herself, turning on the air conditioner in her car and heading to the mall. Nancy’d been having a really hard time lately. She knew that she’d never gotten along with her parents, but that didn’t exactly make them cutting her off any easier, especially when she had to hide the fact that her siblings came to visit her. She worked overtime and extra shifts so she could give Mike and Holly money when they asked for it, and gas for not only her own car, but his, since he had to drive over to their apartment. She was always helping Kali pay her bills, no matter how many times she’d told her to stop. 

There were good times too, so many good times. When they both had a night off together and would cook dinner, well Kali would cook dinner because Nancy was too impatient and let things burn. Or Nancy would let Kali practice coloring her hair, or doing her makeup, or applying acrylics. Or when Kali would be forced to help Nancy with college algebra, which ended up frustrating them both, and they’d ask Lucas for help because the little bastard was too smart for his own good. Kali would always reply snarkily, “Why the fuck would I go to cosmetology school if I knew how to do math?” and Nancy would throw a pillow at her. Or when they got wine drunk on their patio, smoking cigarettes even though they knew it was bad for them. Or just being wrapped in each other’s arms for hours and hours. Being alone and in love. 

When Kali opens the door, a burst of hot air hits her in the face and she curses,   
“Of fucking course something else would go wrong,” she juggles the bag from the jewelers, the pizza, soda and salad and kicks the door shut with her foot, “Nancy? You home? Nance!” 

Before she can set the pizza box down, Nancy pads out, clearly half asleep, hair a mess, cheeks red, and naked, 

“Hey babe, you’re home late,” Nancy says, voice raspy. 

Kali stares at her for a moment, wondering how she got so lucky, before she nods, 

“Sorry it was a long day. I grabbed dinner though.” 

“Oh great! How did you afford it?” Nancy asks, taking the box from her. 

Kali follows her into the bedroom, eyes locked on the dimples on her back, and Nancy sets the food on the bed, sliding under the sheet, 

“Take your clothes off, it’s hot,” she says, flipping open the pizza box. 

“I got lots of tips at work, and I knew we had no food so I figured we’d get pizza.” 

“Great idea. Except now the fucking air conditioner is broken,” Nancy complains, “Can just one thing go right for us? One thing?! I swear to god-” Her voice starts taking a hysterical tone and Kali kicks off her pants, sitting down on the bed next to her, 

“Babe, it’s gonna be okay,” She says, wrapping her arms around Nancy, though it’s a bit too hot for that. 

Nancy returns the hug immediately, pressing her face into Kali’s shoulder,   
“We just, I just wish that something would go right for once. Like what more can we do? I work and go to school, you work two jobs, like this place is a piece of shit, but it’s all we can afford and-” 

Kali pulls her head up gently when she feels tears on her bare skin,   
“Don’t cry baby, please don’t cry.” 

Nancy blinks up at her, blue eyes wide and wet, tear tracks on her cheeks,   
“I’m sorry. It’s just been a long long day. But it’s better now that you’re here.”

Kali smiles and presses a kiss to Nancy’s nose, which makes her blush even more,   
“I’m better now that I’m with you too. Now scoot over.”

Their bare thighs touch as they each grab a piece of pizza,

“You got my favorite,” Nancy says excitedly, taking a bite of the pineapple and pepperoni pizza.

“Of course I did. I also got some salad, you have to eat some.”

Nancy rolls her eyes as Kali cracks open the caesar salad and takes a bite, 

“I don’t want to.”

“We have to be semi healthy. When’s the last time you ate a vegetable?”

Nancy licks the grease off her lips and then hesitates, thinking, 

“Oh fuck you.” 

Kali loads some salad onto the fork and holds it out to Nancy, who reluctantly takes a bite, 

“You’ve gotta eat healthy or you’re not gonna have that hot little body for much longer,” Kali says, feeding her another bite. 

Nancy looks down at her perky tits, slender stomach and perfect love handles, she shrugs and raises an eyebrow at Kali, 

“I think I’m good.” 

Kali throws a tomato at her, 

“Fuck you. Just me then apparently. 

Nancy’s eyes trail down her curvy body, her breasts have always been bigger than Nancy’s, her hips wider, but her stomach is fairly flat too, and her waist is amazing,

“No, you look good too. Sans vegetables and all.” 

Kali laughs and rolls her eyes and grabs another piece of pizza, 

“I have something that might cheer you up.”

“Ooh What?” Nancy asks around a mouthful of pizza. 

“I can finally do your hair. I practiced on someone today, and it turned out a beautiful pastel lilac, and it was amazing. So I can do yours now!”

Nancy’s face lights up,   
“Really?!”

“Yes, I didn’t wanna screw up and I was just gonna practice on Kenzie but I had a client who wanted something similar to you and it worked out.” 

“Oh my god, yay! I’m so excited! I get to be a purple princess! and you’ll add some dark purple streaks in like yours?” Nancy asks, fingering a lock of her hair. 

Kali smiles,   
“Of course baby, if you have to match me.”

“Of course I have to match my smoking hot girlfriend. Oh my god I’m so excited! I close tomorrow, can you do it tomorrow morning?” 

Kali laughs,   
“I sure can baby. And I’d better, because we’re both gonna be working over time for the rest of the month to pay for this damn air conditioning.”

Nancy sighs, running a hand through her hair,  
“Don’t remind me. It’s hot as hell.”

Kali watches a bead of sweat slide down between Nancy’s breasts. She wants to lick it off.

“It is. And it’s only supposed to get hotter by the weekend. I think I’m going to ask Hopper to borrow the money, and we can pay him back by the end of the month.” 

Nancy groans, wiping her fingers on a napkin and falling back on the pillows,   
“Kali!”

“Do you wanna melt? We’re never gonna get it fixed at this rate. It’s going to be fucking 90 degrees this weekend.”

Nancy cross her arms over her chest and frowns,   
“I hate asking for help.”

“I know baby, but didn’t you tell Mike you’d help him pay for prom?” 

Nancy curses,  
“Well yeah.”

Kali lays down next to her and pulls her head to her chest, running a hand through Nancy’s hair,   
“I know you’re proud and don’t like asking for handouts, but that’s what family does. I know, I know you have problems with your parents, and you know how I feel about them but, my family loves you. They know how much I love you and they want to help us. You’ve gotta accept that. We’ve been together for four years. We’re going to be together. Nancy,” Kali takes a deep breath and presses her lips to Nancy’s head, “Nancy Wheeler I’m going to marry you,” she mumbles.

Nancy pulls away slightly and looks up at her, body still intertwined with Kali’s,   
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

Kali takes a deep breath, this is not what she was intending, at all. There was supposed to be Nancy’s birthday dinner, and they were supposed to be at Joyce and Hopper’s with El and Mike and Holly, and Nancy was supposed to be wearing the dress she’d picked out, with her nails done so she could post the perfect picture on Instagram because that’s the kind of girl Nancy was, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. 

But somehow it was even more perfect. Nancy wrapped in her arms, sweat pooling between them, Nancy’s hair falling out of her scrunchie, bangs plastered to her forehead, blue eyes wide and lined in liner, lips wet, looking at Kali the way she always did, like she was her whole world,

“When I first met you, I never thought you’d even look at me. I didn’t even think we could be friends. When you first kissed me, my whole heart stopped. When your parents kicked you out, I knew, that I wanted to protect you from anyone who failed to see how beautiful and amazing you are. Do you remember, that night, when they kicked you out, and you came back to Hopper’s with me? And you slept in my bed, and your eyes had been swollen because you had been crying all day. Do you know what you said to me?” 

Nancy shakes her head slightly, blue eyes filling with tears, 

“Now keep in mind you had been sobbing for hours. And finally you sniffled and looked at me and said, I’m done. And I wasn’t sure what you meant, and you said, I’m still me, I’m still the same Nancy Wheeler I’ve always been. And Nancy Wheeler loves you Kali Prasad. And I knew that I wanted to be with you forever. And I know we’re young, well you’re younger than me, you baby, but, this doesn’t have to be now or even next year, it doesn’t even have to be an engagement ring, it can be a promise ring, it can be anything you want it to be Nancy. But just know that I want to marry you Nancy Wheeler. You are the same girl I fell in love with at 17. And I hope I’m the same girl you fell in love with too.” 

She unwraps one hand from around Nancy’s back and leans down to grab the bag from the side of the bed and hands the black velvet box to Nancy. It’s not much. She’s not that rich, but she has good credit and was able to put the rest of the ring on a card, which she will have no problem paying off- that is if Hopper and Joyce don’t insist on paying for it. But it’s not much. It’s not everything Nancy deserves. Kali wants to buy her a rock so big that it strains her finger. And she will. One day. But this is good for now. It’s a white gold twisted band with a small round diamond. 

Nancy lets out a sob when she sees it and Kali reaches her hand out, 

“Can I put it on you?”

“Of course!” Nancy cries, holding out a shaky pale hand. 

Kali slides the ring on her finger and Nancy gasps,  
“It’s so beautiful. Thank you so much, oh my god.” 

Kali just stares at her for a moment before she jumps as Nancy smacks her shoulder,   
“You idiot! You thought I’d be happy about purple hair?!”

Kali laughs,   
“Well I didn’t exactly plan to give it to you like this, silly!” She leans in to kiss Nancy’s nose, and then her lips, “but I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it? I love it! I love you. I’m fucking engaged!” She shouts, throwing her hands in the air. 

Kali blushes and tucks her hair behind her ear,   
“So you want it to be an engagement ring?” 

“Shit, it could be my wedding ring! We could go to the courthouse right now if you wanted. I love you Kali. With all of my heart. You make me a better person, you make me want to work hard to give you everything you deserve.”

Kali slaps her arm,   
“Hey, that’s my line. You’re not getting a courthouse wedding. You’ve got to have the whole shebang.” 

“I want any wedding that ends in you being my wife,” Nancy says seriously, leaning in to kiss Kali softly. 

Kali pulls away smiling, and tugs Nancy down against her chest so they can both lay down, 

“Now tell me about your bad day,” she says, tracing over the freckles on Nancy’s shoulders. 

Nancy rotates her hand so they can look at the light bouncing off the small diamond,   
“You know what, I can’t seem to remember,” she says with a grin. 

“You’re such a dork,” Kali says, kissing her nose. 

“A dork you love,” Nancy says in a sing song voice, pressing a kiss to Kali’s collarbone. 

“Yes indeed,” Kali says, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple.


End file.
